Nikola Jokic vs. Roy Tarpley Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Roy Tarpley and Nikola Jokic, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Nikola Jokic played 9 years in the NBA, 3 more than Roy Tarpley, who played 6. Nikola Jokic had the first of his seasons in 2015-16, while Roy Tarpley had his rookie season in 1986-87. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Nikola Jokic 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24
Roy Tarpley 6 3 1986-87 to 1994-95

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2015-161986-87
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First TeamAchievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayMavericks Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
Roy Tarpley 75 18.7 7.5 2.4 4.7 7.1 0.7 0.7 1.1 1.3 3.1 3.1 6.7 .467 0.0 0.0 .333 1.3 1.9 .676
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Roy Tarpley 4 28.5 13.3 4.5 6.0 10.5 0.3 0.3 1.8 1.8 4.5 6.0 12.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 1.3 1.8 .714

Season 2
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2016-171987-88
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards -Achievement Sixth Man of the Year
Playoffs Did Not PlayMavericks Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
Roy Tarpley 81 28.5 13.5 4.4 7.4 11.8 1.1 1.3 1.1 2.1 3.9 5.5 11.0 .500 0.0 0.1 .000 2.5 3.4 .740
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Roy Tarpley 17 33.1 17.9 5.2 7.7 12.9 1.8 1.2 1.5 1.9 4.1 7.4 14.2 .519 0.0 0.2 .000 3.2 4.3 .740

Season 3
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2017-181988-89
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
Roy Tarpley 19 31.1 17.3 4.1 7.4 11.5 0.9 1.5 1.6 2.4 3.7 6.9 12.7 .541 0.0 0.1 .000 3.5 5.1 .688
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2018-191989-90
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisMavericks Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Roy Tarpley 45 36.6 16.8 4.2 8.9 13.1 1.5 1.8 1.6 2.6 3.6 7.0 15.5 .451 0.0 0.1 .000 2.9 3.8 .756
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846
Roy Tarpley 3 43.0 16.7 3.0 12.3 15.3 0.3 2.3 3.3 3.0 4.0 7.3 15.3 .478 0.0 0.3 .000 2.0 4.0 .500

Season 5
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2019-201990-91
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf FinalsDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Roy Tarpley 5 34.2 20.4 3.2 7.8 11.0 2.4 1.2 1.8 2.6 4.0 8.6 15.8 .544 0.0 0.2 .000 3.2 3.6 .889
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------

Note: Roy Tarpley didn't play in 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Season 6
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2020-211994-95
Team Denver NuggetsDallas Mavericks
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Roy Tarpley 55 24.6 12.6 2.6 5.6 8.2 1.1 0.8 1.0 2.0 2.8 5.3 11.1 .479 0.1 0.3 .278 1.9 2.2 .836
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------

Season 7
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2021-22-
Team Denver Nuggets-
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-NBA First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------

Season 8
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2022-23-
Team Denver Nuggets-
Honors & Awards Achievement Finals MVP-
Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA Champion-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------

Season 9
Nikola Jokic Roy Tarpley
Season 2023-24-
Team Denver Nuggets-
Honors & Awards Achievement Season MVP-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Nuggets TBD-
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Nikola Jokic 8 40.0 26.6 3.8 11.1 14.9 9.4 1.5 0.6 3.8 2.9 10.1 18.6 .544 1.1 3.9 .290 5.3 5.6 .933
Roy Tarpley ------- --- ----------
Share: